Stacking desk trays



United States [72] Inventor Arthur Serwer Jericho, New York [21] Appl.No. 694,910

[221 Filed .lan.2, 1968 [45} Patented Oct.13. 1970 [73] Assignce ColeSteel Equipment ($0., Inc.

New York. New York a corporation of New York [54] STACKING DESK TRAYS 18Claims. 5 Drawing Figs.

521 L.S.C1

2.046.095 6/1936 Shaw 21 l, l 26X 2,235.7(19 3/1941 Hearn 21 1/1 26X3.245.548 4/1966 Kesilman 211/126X Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers. Jr.AlmrneysNorman Friedman. Morris 1. Pollack. Arthur T.

Groeninger. Stephen E. Feldman and Philip Furgang ABSTRACT: Each tray isformed from plastic and with inverted and substantially L shaped sidesproviding a pair of spaced side walls and an upper edge defining adownwardly opening cavity. A plurality of ribs extend from the sidewalls into the cavity at a plurality of locations to form post receivinglocations each adapted to receive a stacking post to facilitate stackingof one tray upon another. The entryway from the upper edge into each ofsaid post locations is flashed over with plastic to normally present asmooth surface. However, the plastic covering the entryway is formed soas to be frangible and easily broken away when it is desired to insert apost thcrethrough to stack the trays.

Patented Get. 13, 1970 3,533,512

2 -FIG.5

- 54 i 24 8O Amml f alm 56 J M ATTORNEY STACKING DESK TRAYS BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates todesk, or letter, trays and more particularly to desk or letter traysconstructed to permit the stacking of one tray upon the other, in spacedrelationship,

through the intermediary of stacking posts.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has long been common practice tostack desk or letter trays one upon the other to facilitate thedisposition of a plurality of trays in a limited area. These desk orletter trays are commonly found in offices as IN" and OUTT' baskets, andare otherwise used for a great many purposes. They are usually made ofwood or metal formed into open top boxes having a bottom and either two,three or four upturned sides.

A common method of stacking trays requires the utilization of aplurality of posts each of which is adapted to grip the upper edge ofthe bottom tray and the lower portion of the top tray. However, theseposts are generally unsightly in appearance, interfere with the usage ofthe trays when disposed at the tray corners and generally do not formadequate support for the upper tray when otherwise disposed.

A great many trays have secured thereto extra pieces of material formingchannels adapted to receive stacking posts. However, the trays so formedare usually unsightly in appearance; while the channels in manyinstances do not provide adequate guide or support structure for theposts when the trays are stacked.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention toprovide an improved desk or letter tray.

It is a further object to provide an improved stackable desk or lettertray.

A still further object is to provide a stackable desk or letter trayhaving formed within the walls thereof guide and positioning structureadapted to receive stacking posts in such a manner that the guide andpositioning structure is normally hidden from view, is not unsightlyv inappearance, but is readily available when required for use.

This invention involves desk or letter trays of the type adapted to bestacked one upon the other through the intermediary of stacking posts,and wherein each tray has formed in the side walls thereof hollows whichare adapted to receive the stacking posts. The entryway into the hollowfrom the top of the tray is flashed over so as'to present a continuoussurface with the flashing formed to permit ready insertion of thestacking posts therethrough when it is desired to stack trays one uponthe other.

In carrying out the invention, according to a preferred embedimentthereof, each tray is formed of plastic with its sides and back in asubstantially inverted U-shaped configuration such that the spaced wallsare closed at the top and open at the bottom to define a hollow cavity.The inner wall surfaces are interconnected to a floor portion formingthe tray itself. The side walls have formed therebetween a plurality ofsets of stacking post receiving and positioning locations each includinga plurality of ribs extending from the walls into the cavity to securelyreceive and position the stacking posts. The plastic from which the trayis formed forms a continuous surface along the upper edge of the trayalong the side walls thereof covering over the entryway into the postlocations. However, the plastic over the entryway may readily be brokenaway when the lower portion of the stacking posts is pushedthereagainst. The upper tray is thereafter set upon the stacking postswith the stacking posts being received into the open hollow portionthereof between the guide ribs so as to form a secure stack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a frontprospective view of a pair of stacked desk trays embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the stacking posts shown in FIGS. I and 2;

FIG. 4 is a still further enlargement of the upper corner of a trayshowing a post in phantom and a frangible covering for the entryway intothe post location between the walls thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For convenience, the invention willbe described as applied to a pair of desk or letter trays which areformed from plastic and include spaced side walls defining a cavitywithin which is formed stacking post receiving and positioning ribs toreceive and position two stacking posts on each side of a tray tofacilitate stacking on one tray on another; it being understoodnonetheless that without the' departing from the scope of the inventionthat subject tray construction may utilize post receiving andpositioning elements other than ribs; and may be utilized to stack morethan two trays, one upon'the other, for trays formed from material otherthan plastic, for trays utilizing more or less than two stacking postson each side thereof, and for trays utilized for other thancorrespondence purposes.

With reference to FIG. 1 there is shown generally at 16 a pair of desktrays with a lower desk tray 16a supporting an upper desk tray 1612through the intermediary of four supporting posts 18 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

Each desk tray 16 is formed of a suitable plastic (such as medium impactstyrene) and so as to have upwardly extending sides 22 (FIG. I) eachformed in an inverted substantially U- shaped configuration so as toprovide an outer wall 24, (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) an inner wall 26, and anupper edge 28 all of which define therebetween a cavity 30 openingdownwardly. Inner walls 26 are integral with a bottom or floor 40 (FIGS.1 and 2) while outer walls 24 are constructedto form a lower or restingedge 42. A front. wall 46 interconnects outer walls 24, inner walls 26,and upper edges 28 so as to present a smooth surface along the frontface of tray 20.

A guide rib 50 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) extends from outer wall 24 into cavity30 at each of a plurality of post locations 52a (FIGS. 1 and 5), 52b(FIG. 1), etc.; while a pair of positioning ribs 54 (FIGS. 2 and 5) 56extend from inner wall 26 into cavity 30 at each such location. Ribs 54,56 are spaced a distance approximately equal to the width of supportpost 18 so as to properly receive and position same; while guide rib 50is disposed opposite ribs 54, 56 and approximately midway therebetween.

Upper edges 28 (FIGS. 2 and 4) of each tray 16 are formed with inwardlyfacing walls 60 and upwardly facing shoulders 62. A breakaway orfrangible area 72a (FIGS. 1 and 4), 72b, (FIG. 1) etc. is disposed ateach post location 52a, 52b etc. so as to cover the entryway into cavity30 at each such location.

Each support post 18 is formed with an inserting end (FIGS. 2 and 3) aseating shoulder 82, and a tray mounting end 84.

When it is desired to stack a pair of trays 16 the user need only locatefour support posts 18 on lower tray 16a and dispose upper tray 16bthereupon; To install a post 18 at a particular location such as 520 end80 of post 18 is pressed against breakaway or frangible area 72a untilthe material I thereof yields permitting the entry of end 80 into cavity30. End 80 then strikes guide rib 50 and is guided thereby betweenpositioning ribs 54,, 56 until post 18 is completely inserted andshoulder 82 thereof rests upon shoulder- 62 of tray 16a. The other posts18 are inserted in a similar manner.

Upper tray 16b is then disposed upon tray support ends 84 of frangibleplastic covering for the entryway to the post area. permits the readystacking of one tray upon the other while at the same time presenting anaesthetically pleasing smooth surface for those trays upon which anothertray is not to be stacked.

It is understood that although I have shown of the preferred form of myinvention that various modifications may be made in the details thereofwithout departing from the spirit as comprehended by the followingclaims.

l. A tray comprising:

a. bottom wall means;

b. side wall means extending along at least one edge of said bottom wallmeans;

c. said side wall means including between the exterior surfaces thereofpost receiving means defining at least one post location adapted toreceive a post for the purpose of stacking trays one upon the other; and

(1. material means covering an entryway to said post location in such amanner as to be readily removed therefrom and so as to present acontinuous surface until so removed.

2. The tray of claim 1 wherein the entire tray is formed from saidmaterial means and said material means is a plastic.

3. The tray of claim 1 wherein said side wall means includes a pair ofspaced post locations each adapted to receive a post and each having theentryway thereof covered by material means.

4. The tray of claim 1 wherein said side wall means extends along twooppositely disposed edges of said bottom wall means.

5. The tray ofclaim 4 wherein each side wall means includes at least twopost locations each of said locations having its respective entrywaycovered by said material means.

6. The tray of claim 1 wherein said side wall means is formed of aninverted and substantially U-shaped configuration with an outer wall, aninner wall and an upper edge defining therebetween a downwardly openingcavity.

7. The tray of claim 6 wherein a plurality of ribs extend from said sidewalls into said cavity at a predetermined location to definetherebetween said post location.

8. The tray of claim 7 wherein said material means covering saidentryway is formed from the material of said side walls but so as to befrangible in nature and readily broken away upon the application ofpressure thereagainst to permit entry of a post into said post location.

9. A stack of trays comprising:

a. at least one tray support post;

b. a first tray having a bottom wall, and a side wall connected to saidbottom wall so as to extend along at least one edge thereof and adaptedto have the lower portion of said tray support post inserted through thesurface thereof and into a post location formed between the exteriorsurfaces of said side wall and so as to support said tray support postin a substantially vertical position; and

c. a second tray having a bottom wall, and a side wall connected to saidbottom wall so as to extend along at least one edge thereof and havingformed between the exterior surfaces of said side wall a post locationsimilar to said post location in said first tray and adapted to receivethe .upper portion of said post supported by said first tray so as topermit the stacking of said first tray and said second tray one over theother.

10. The stack of trays of claim 9 wherein said side walls of said firstand said second trays each have formed therein a pair of post locationsand there are provided a pair of posts, one for each such post location.

11. The stack of trays of claim 10 wherein said side walls extends alongopposed oppositely disposed edges of said bottom tion.

12. A stack of trays comprising: a. at least one tray support post;

b. a first tray having a bottom wall, and a side wall con-- nected tosaidbottom wall so as to extend along at least one edge thereof andadapted to have the lower portion of said tray support post insertedthrough the surface thereof and into a post location formed therewithinso as to support said tray support post in a substantially verticalposition; and

. a second tray having a bottom wall. and a side wall connected to saidbottom wall so as to extend along at least one edge thereof and havingformed therein a post location similar to said post location in saidfirst tray and adapted to receive the upper portion of said post whensupported by said first tray so as to permit the stacking of said firsttray and said second tray one over the other.

d. said first tray and said second tray being formed integrally and of aplastic material with the material covering each of said post locationsbut so as to be easily broken away therefrom.

13. The stack of trays of claim 12 wherein each side wall is formed ofan inverted and substantially U-shaped configuration with an outer wall,an inner wall and an upper edge defining therebetween a downwardlyopening cavity.

14-. The stack of trays of claim 13 wherein at each of said postlocations there is integrally formed from the material of said sidewalls a plurality of ribs extending into said cavity to define said postlocation.

15. The stack of trays of claim 14 wherein each of said plurality ofribs includes a pair of spaced post positioning ribs extending from onewall and adapted to receive therebetween a stacking post and a guide ribextending from the opposed wall midway between said pair of postpositioning ribs.

16. A desk or letter tray comprising:

a. a pair of opposed spaced sides each formed of plastic material and inan inverted and substantially U-shaped configuration so that eachprovides spaced inner and outer side walls and upper edges definingtherebetween downwardly opening cavities;

b. a bottom wall formed integrally with said inner side walls of saidopposed spaced sides to interconnect same;

c. a pair of support post locations formed within said cavity in each ofsaid sides, each such post location including a pair of spaced postsupport ribs extending from said inner wall into said cavity and a guiderib extending from said outer wall into said cavity midway between saidpost support ribs, said pairs of post support ribs and said guide ribsextending from proximate said upper edge towards said opening to saidcavity; and an entryway for each of said post locations proximate saidupper edge and said inner wall, said entryway originally being flashedover with said plastic material in a manner to be easily broken awaytherefrom so as to present a substantially smooth and continuous surfaceuntil broken away.

17. The desk or letter tray of claim 16 including:

a. a stacking post for each of said post locations;

b. each stacking post being formed of a width and thickness to fit intosaid post location and so as to include a first end adapted forinsertion through said material into said post location and between saidpost support ribs, a shoulder adapted for seating upon a shoulder ofsaid side formed at said post location, and an upper end adapted forinsertion upwardly through the opening of the cavity of another tray andbetween the support ribs thereof.

18. The tray of claim 17 wherein the movement of said support postbetween said support ribs of said another tray is limited by engagementbetween said upper end and a guide rib of said another tray.

